Alice M. Simpkins was recently elected to serve as the 2011-2012 Associate Forum Chair for the Association for Institutional Research (AIR). She will begin her term as Associate Forum Chair, a national board position, on May 25, 2011 following the close of the next AIR Forum. The position is a two-year appointment; in the second year, she will serve as Forum Chair.

The mission of the Association for Institutional Research is to support quality data and decisions for higher education. The Forum is the premier annual conference for members of the Association. The four-day meeting is the world’s largest gathering of higher education professionals working in institutional research, assessment, planning, and related postsecondary education fields. The Forum includes more than 450 presentations by colleagues representing all sectors of higher education and an exhibit hall featuring the latest tools and resources to support data use for decision-making. From networking with peers to workshops and plenary sessions by leading experts in the field, the Forum is the “must attend” event for seasoned and early career professionals.

“I will use my mathematics, computer, and research skills as well as her ability to pay attention to details” to provide leadership for “planning and implementing an unforgettable Forum,” Simpkins said.

Professionally, Simpkins has presented papers at institutional research and computer conferences. The more recent papers focused on institutional research and its role in institutional effectiveness, planning, evaluation, and assessment. She is currently a member of the Association for Institutional Research (AIR) and three of its special interest groups – Traditionally Black Colleges and Universities (TBCU), Southern Association for Institutional Research (SAIR), and Georgia Association for Institutional Research, Planning, Assessment, and Quality (GAIRPAQ). In AIR, Alice has served on the Nominations Committee and chaired the Ethics Advisory Committee. Further, she has been a presenter, facilitator, and volunteer. She has also held leadership positions in each of the special interest groups.

In addition to leadership skills, Simpkins also brings planning and organizational experience from many local community agencies to the role having served on the boards of the March of Dimes, the American Cancer Society, the National Pan-Hellenic Council, and the Augusta Chorale. Further, she currently holds a regional position in Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.

As an employee of Paine College, Simpkins currently serves as Director of Institutional Research, a position she has held since 1987. In her almost 39 years as a Paine employee, she has held numerous positions including assistant professor of mathematics and computer science, director of institutional effectiveness and research, director of the Information and Computer Science program, database coordinator for the implementation of the Jenzabar administrative computer system (formerly CMDS Teams Elite), director of the National Youth Sports Program, and director of the Ford Teacher-Scholar program. Her college service ranges from secretary of the faculty to service as a member of three (3) Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ leadership teams. Further, she has been instrumental in obtaining grants for institutional effectiveness, evaluation, and research; computer and information program development; and a classroom project for statistical understanding.

For more information, contact Natasha Carter, Director of Communications and Marketing, at 706.396.7591 or 678.215.8576 or Ncarter@paine.edu.